Karin Magnusson has been awarded the Summer Prize 2026 for her debut novel Broken White. Founded to increase reading, this is the tenth anniversary of the Summer Prize. It is awarded yearly to an author who pens high-quality and thought-provoking literature with an absorbing story and accessible prose.

The jury’s motivation reads:
“In her debut novel Broken White, Karin Magnusson takes on the 90s crisis, which tore careers and families apart but is forgotten today and seldomly portrayed in literature. She captures the 90s spirit in a touching way. We found the portrayal of social tensions and settings very rewarding, both in main character Stefan’s hometown and in Stockholm. Magnusson portrays Stefan’s life story with a sense for details and sharp observations.”

Stefan has decided to paint one final apartment before he is going to die. The dreams of a family and his own painting business are long gone. His best friend no longer picks up the phone, and silence settles over the life that was.

Once, he shared a table with the small-town elite, but somewhere after a successful Midsummer Eve and a catastrophic crayfish party, he made a decision that would change everything.

Karin Magnusson’s debut novel Broken White is a warm and honest story about class, heritage, and the price tag we put on life. About the dues we carry from a life that could have turned out differently.